Stone Glacier Approach 2800 vs Stone Glacier Solo 3600
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Quick take: The Stone Glacier Solo 3600 carries more (59 vs 46 liters); the Stone Glacier Approach 2800 is lighter (4.08 vs 4.14 lbs).
| Spec | Stone Glacier Approach 2800 | Stone Glacier Solo 3600 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $675 | $675 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (30) | 4.9★ (37) |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | External Frame | External Frame |
| Capacity | 46 L | 59 L |
| Weight | 4 lb 1.3 oz complete on Krux (bag only 1 lb 5 oz; 4 lb 5.3 oz on Xcurve) | 4 lb 2.2 oz (Krux) / 4 lb 6.2 oz (Xcurve), complete with medium belt |
| Max Load | 150+ lbs | 150+ lbs |
| Torso Fit | 26 in frame with adjustable shoulder yoke (Xcurve adds extra vertical adjustment for short torsos); belts S (28-30 in), M (31-36 in), L (37+ in) | Hook-and-loop harness with continuous height and angle adjustment; S/M/L belts (28"-37"+); Krux Short frame option for shorter torsos |
| Material | 500D Cordura + X-Pac | 500D Cordura + X-Pac laminate, YKK #10 zippers, 1" Duraflex military-spec hardware, made in USA |
| Back Panel | Foam-padded frame panel on 4 carbon-composite stays (straight Krux or anatomically curved Xcurve) | Foam-padded carbon-stay frame panel (Krux or Xcurve frame) with nitrogen-infused foam harness |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | No | No |
| Hydration sleeve | No | No |
| Fits BV500 bear can | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | Lifetime against defects in materials and workmanship (tears/punctures excluded) | Lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship |
Pros & cons
Stone Glacier Approach 2800
- ✓A real 150+ lb meat-hauling chassis under a day bag: the integrated Krux/Xcurve load shelf expands 2,500+ ci between bag and frame, and Rokslide owners specifically run it so an elk quarter comes out on the first trip instead of wasting a return hike for a frame.
- ✓Same $675 buys your choice of frame — the 2 lb 12 oz straight-stay Krux for shorter torsos or the 3 lb anatomically curved Xcurve, whose crossed carbon stays and Powerlock belt are SG's most comfortable option over 100 lb.
- ✓Best glassing layout in the SG day line: external spotting scope pocket up to a 115 mm objective plus two tripod carry options — one Rokslide owner said the exterior spotter pocket and tripod system 'really nailed it' as his ideal day pack.
- ✓Two 200 ci internal zippered organizer pockets — owners note they eliminate the need to buy SG's Swing-Out accessory pockets that the older Solo bag required.
- ✓Full-panel clamshell zip opens the whole bag flat for easy loading — a clear upgrade over the top-loading Avail and Solo.
- ✓The 1 lb 5 oz bag is modular: it mates to any Stone Glacier frame and can even ride over the top of a 5900 expedition bag as an add-on, per Rokslide owners.
- ✓Materially overbuilt for its weight — 500D Cordura and X-Pac with YKK #10 zippers and mil-spec Duraflex buckles, made in the USA; an ocabj.net reviewer coming from an Eberlestock Gunslinger II found it dramatically lighter yet more comfortable for match use.
- ✓Clean, professional look without MOLLE webbing crosses over to NRL Hunter matches, range days, and travel — reviewers repeatedly praise it as a non-tactical do-all.
- ✗$675 for a day-pack system is real money — an Exo K4 or Kuiu Pro complete kit lands in the same range with more bag, and the frame is most of the Approach's cost.
- ✗46 L runs out fast in cold weather: Rokslide owners say puffy layers, rain gear, spotter, tripod, and a stove crowd it, and most keep a bigger bag for overnighters.
- ✗No hydration sleeve and only one open side pocket (left side) — no external water-bottle pockets, a recurring Stone Glacier complaint.
- ✗No hip-belt pockets included; SG's Swing-Out and belt pockets are paid accessories.
- ✗The tripod foot pocket has no hard liner, so spiked tripod feet can eventually punch through it (flagged in the ocabj.net long-term review).
- ✗At 4.1-4.3 lb complete it's double the weight of frameless day packs like a Kuiu Venture — overkill if you never haul meat.
- ✗The smaller Approach 1800 was discontinued, so there's no lower-volume version of this bag currently sold.
- ✗Choosing between Krux and Xcurve frames requires homework on your torso and load style — buy the wrong one and comfort under heavy loads suffers.
Stone Glacier Solo 3600
- ✓An 'ultralight pack using no ultralight materials' — at 4 lb 2 oz complete on the Krux frame it undercuts an Exo K4 3600 or Kifaru 44 Mag system while keeping burly 500D Cordura/X-Pac fabric and a 150+ lb rating.
- ✓The 2,500+ ci expandable load shelf is the pack's superpower: Rokslide owners and Stone Glacier size it to swallow an entire boned-out sheep or mule deer, and it fits elk quarters perfectly between bag and frame.
- ✓Genuine sheep-hunt pedigree — designed around solo Alaska hunts, and it remains the bag Rokslide members recommend when someone asks for the lightest setup that can still pack out an animal.
- ✓Petersen's Hunting's New Mexico elk test praised the load stability on repeated meat hauls down steep terrain, reporting none of the aches associated with ill-fitting packs and calling out how well the belt locks the load to the hips.
- ✓Full top-panel zip opens the whole main compartment, so bottom-of-bag items are reachable without unloading — a real advantage over top-loader competitors in this weight class.
- ✓New integrated differential-cut spotting scope pocket stores a spotter without stealing interior volume, an upgrade over the original Solo that long-term owners called for.
- ✓A detailed 2-year Rokslide owner review covering hunting, meat hauling, backpacking, and shed hunting ends in a strong recommendation, echoed by a 4.9/5 average across 37 reviews on stoneglacier.com.
- ✓Cheapest complete system in Stone Glacier's line at $675, and the bag swaps onto the same frame as every other SG bag, making it a low-risk entry into the ecosystem.
- ✗One single external pocket is the number-one gripe in every Rokslide thread — owners resort to strapping gear on or buying clip-in organizer pockets to avoid digging through the main bag.
- ✗No stretch side pockets for a Nalgene, trekking poles, or tripod tips — multiple owners on Rokslide have literally asked about DIY-sewing their own, and some dislike being forced to carry water on the belt.
- ✗59 L is a genuine squeeze for 3-4 day elk hunts: Rokslide members say it works only with a compressible down bag and small shelter, and several recommend stepping up to the Col 4800 or Sky 5900 for late-season or synthetic-insulation loads.
- ✗No lid included and, unlike the Sky bags, adding the Sky Series Lid is an extra purchase you may need for longer trips.
- ✗Hydration sleeve, camp pocket, and hipbelt pockets are all sold separately, pushing the real-world price of a complete kit well past $675.
- ✗At $675 it is only $24 less than the 79 L Col 4800, so the value-per-liter argument favors sizing up unless every ounce matters.
- ✗The perforated foam lining on the belt and shoulder straps collects pine needles and debris — a Stone Glacier-wide annoyance noted by Rokslide staff reviewers.
- ✗Minimalist single-compartment design means no internal organization at all out of the box — hunters coming from a Mystery Ranch Metcalf or Eberlestock will find it spartan.